Former presidential hopeful and Ohio Gov. John Kasich joined nine other governors from both sides of the aisle to oppose his party's last-ditch attempt at repealing the Affordable Care Act.
"We ask you to support bipartisan efforts to bring stability and affordability to our insurance markets," reads a letter signed by all 10 governors. "Improvements to our health care insurance markets should control costs, stabilize the market and positively impact coverage and care of millions of Americans, including many who are dealing with mental illness, chronic health problems and drug addiction."
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Vox writer Sarah Kliff characterized the new bill created by Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham and Bill Cassidy is "the most radical" of all Republicans' belabored attempts to fulfill an eight-year campaign promise of repealing and replacing the ACA.
Graham-Cassidy's provisions would allow private insurers to discriminate against Americans with preexisting conditions, eliminate the individual mandate without a replacement and nix Medicaid expansion.
Kasich used milder language in an interview with CNN reporter Anderson Cooper, but reiterated that he could not support Graham and Cassidy's proposal.
"Is it better than previous attempts have been?" Cooper asked.
"No, I don't think so," Kasich replied. "We were starting to see the sun peek through a little bit on Republicans and Democrats working together … and then, woof, it's gone."
He compared the back-and-forth negotiations between Republicans and Democrats to a game of table tennis, each side continue volleying the ball back into the other's court.
"The losers in a game like that are the people," he added.
Republicans have until Sept. 30 to pass their health care legislation with a simple majority in the Senate. If that deadline passes, they will face a far steeper road to victory.
CNN reported Wednesday that Ohio Sen. Rob Portman was undecided on the bill, "but open to it." His Democratic counterpart, Sen. Sherrod Brown, emphatically opposed it in a Twitter post that afternoon.
We cannot let politicians with healthcare paid for by taxpayers throw hundreds of thousands of Ohioans off of their health insurance. pic.twitter.com/GCIUB5UCmn
— Sherrod Brown (@SenSherrodBrown) September 20, 2017
